Traction-engine steering-gear.



PATENTED APR. 16, 1907.

R. RICHARDSON. TRACTION ENGINE STEERING GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7. 1905- 2 SHEETS-811111113 1.

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R. RICHARDSON. TRACTION ENGINE STEERING GEAR.

APPLICATION TILED SEPT. 7. 1905.

A TTOHNE Y8 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT RICHARDSON, ()F YATES CENTER, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- iiALF T ARTHUR B. ESTEP,

()F YATES CENTER, KANSAS.

TRACTION-ENGINE STEERING-GEAR.

and State elf-Kansas, have invented a new and improved Traction -'E11gine Steering- Gear, of which the following is afull, clear,

and exact LlOhUl'iPtitHl.

The invention relates to a power steeringgear designed particularly for use in connection with traction-engines, but applicable in other ways, as will be apparenthereinafter to skilled mechanics. I

The invention resides in certain special features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be fully set forth hereinafterand particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate as an example the preferred embodiment of my invention, in which drawings- Figure 1 is a side view showing in broken lines a traction-engine and illustrating by full lines my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation showing the primemover shaft with a steering-gear and the counter-shaft and friction devicesfor driving the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the gearing. Flg. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary View showing the lock' device for the counter-shaftand the shifting friction-wheel thereof. Fig.

5 is an end View of the lock devices, and Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken through the c n1nter-shaft.

In Fig. 1 the traction-engine is indicated by broken lines. 10. indicates the crankshaft of the engine, which during therunning of the machine is continuously in motion, as will be understood. 11 indicates the steering-chains, 12 a worm-wheel carried .on a shaft 14 in connection With the chains 15, a worm which meshes with the worm-wheel, and 16 indicates the steering-shaft carrying the worm 15 all of which parts are well known in the prior art.

Revoiubiy mounted on top of the tractionengine is a shaft 17, which is carried in bearings 18 and is provided at its front end with a miter-gear 19, splined on the shaft and adapted 'to move in and out of mesh with a corresponding gear 20, fastened to the shaft 10. The gear 19 has a groovedhub engaged by a fork 21 on a slide 22. Said slide is held to move freely in bearings 23, arranged on t'op Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed September 7, 1905. seal No. 277,326.

Patented April 16, 1907.

of the engine. Connected with the slide 22 is a lever 24, one end of whichis joined by a link 25 to the stationary part of the engine. By throwing said lever 24 forward and backward the gear 19 may be. engaged with and disengaged from the gear 20, and in this way the shaft 17 may be driven at will. rear end the shaft 17 carries a frictionwheel 26. This is adapted to be engaged by a corresponding friction-wheel 27, splined on a shaft 28. the friction-wheel 27 is a fork 2t) on a handle Loosely engaged with the hub of At its 30, by means of which the gear 27 may be shifted across the face of the gear 26, thus regulating the speed at which the gear 27, and consequently the shaft 28, are driven and also the direction of rotation of said parts. The shaft 28 carries at its right-hand end a miter-gear 31, and this is in mesh with a corresponding gear 32, secured to the beforenamed steering-shaft 16. It will thus be seen that by moving the gear 27 across the face of the gear 26 the shaft 28 willbe driven at a variable speed, and the direction of rotation may be readily changed. The shaft 28 drives the shaft 16 through the gears 31 and 32, and the shaft 16 turns the steering-axle of the traction-engine, so as to drive or steer said engine, all of which will be fully understood.

The shaft 28 is carried in two boxes 33 and 34; Said shaft has a spherical portion 28*- in the box 33, which allows the shaft to swing sli htl y in the bearings. The box 34 is movab e forward and backward in a guide 35 and is pressed rearward by a spring 36, engaging between the box 34 and an adj Listing.- screw 37, by means of which screw the tension of the spring may be regulated at will. Fastened to the shaft 28- adjacent to the box 34 is a notched wheel 38, and this is adapted to engage in a stud 39, projecting from a plate 40, secured to the front end of the guide 35. 'Mounted to swing around a pin 41, which is carried on to of the guide 35, is an arm 42, the lower en of which carries a bar 43, which, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6, is preferably formed integral with the" arm. Fas-' -tened to said bar is an arm 44, and this is engaged thereby. The spring 36 holds the parts securely in the position shown'in Fig. 6

and keeps the friction-wheel 27 disengaged from the friction-wheel 26. However, upon throwing down the handle 30 the bar is disengaged and said bar is swurfg forward,

which, through the medium of the arm 44, results in throwing inward the box 34 and handle after the gear 26 has been shifted the parts will be thrown into mesh and the steermg operation Wlll be performed. When the parts are allowed to return to the position shown in Fig. 6, the stud 39 locks inthe disk 38 and prevents changing the position of the steering-gear until the handle 29 is again operated. When in active mljustnlent, the parts assume theposition shown in Fig. l, the said elements 38 and'ifl) disengage, and the shaft 28 is then free to turn.

In the use of the invention, assuming the parts to be adjusted as shown, the lever 24 should be operated to keep the gears 19 and 20 engaged during the time that the tractionengine is operating as such. The shaft 17 and gear 26 are therefore in constant revolution. 'lo steer the traction-engine, the operator should shift the gear 27 to the desired position with respect to the gear 26, so as to rotate the shaft 16 in one or the other direction, as desired. .After this has been done the handle should be pushed down, so as to cause the bar'4i? and arm 44 to move inward the box 34. The rotation of the shaft 28 will now follow the rotation of the shaft 17, and

the shaft 16 will be driven, which movement will continue as long as the pressure on the handle 30 is maintained. '-l he instant this pressure is relaxed the parts will return to the inactive position, as shown. 'It thus follows that by the manipulation of the handle 30 the engine may be steered at will. When the traction-engine comes td a standstill or it is desired to 0 erate the engine pro erfor instance, to drlve-the machinethe ever 24 should be thrown into inactive position, thus disconnecting the gears 19 and 20.

While I have particularly described the in-' vention as a steering-gear for traction-en-- gines, it nevertheless shouldbe noted that it may be applied with equal ease to automobiles an all motor-vehicles, the shaft 10 representing either the crank-shaft of the engine on some continuously-rotating shaft driven from the engine.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1 In a motor-driven vehicle, the combination with the steering-gear, of a continuouslyrotating shaft on the vehicle, a shaft driven thereby, a friction-wheel attached to the second shaft, a second friction-wheel movable across the face of the first friction-gear, a shaft on which thesecond friction-gear is splined, and means for connecting the last-named shaft with the steering-gear.

'2. In a motor-driven vehicle, the combination with a steering-gear and with a continuously-moving shaft on the vehicle, of a second shaft, releasable means for driving the second shaftfrom the said prime-mover shaft, a friction-gear attached to the second shaft, a second friction-gear movable across the face of the first friction-gear, a shaft on which the second gear is splined, and means for driving the steering mechanism from the third shaft.

3. In a motor-driven vehicle, the combination with a steering-gear and with'a continuously-moving shaft thereof, of agear fastened to said shaft, a second shaft, a gear splined on the second shaft and adapted to mesh with the gear on the continuously-moving shaft, means for operating the gear on the second shaft, a f riction-gear attached to the second shaft, a second friction-gear movable across the face of the first friction-gear, for the purpose specified, "a countereshaft on which the second friction-gear is splined, and

means for driving the steering-gear from said counter-shaft.

4. The combination with a motor-vehicle having a steering-gear and a continuouslymoving shaft, of a second shaft driven from the continuously-moving shaft, a frictiongcar on the second shaft, a counter-shaft, a friction-gear on the countersshaft and adapted to engage with the friction-gear on the second shaft, means for mounting the countershaft to 'move laterally'toward and from the first-named friction-gear, for the purpose specified, means for so moving the countersh aft, and means connecting the counter-sh aft with the steering mechanism In a motor-driven vehicle, the combination With the steering-gear, of a continuouslyrotating shaft on the vehicle, a shaft driven thereby, a friction-gear on said last-named shaft a second friction-gear adapted to mesh with the first friction-gear, a counter-shaft carrying the second friction-gear, a connection between the counter-shaft and the steering-gear, a box on which the counter-shaft. is mounted, a guide in which the box is movable, and a device connected withsaid box to move the same whereby to engage the frictiongears together.

' 6. In a motor-driven vehicle the combination with the steering-gear, of a continuouslytion with the steering-gear, of a continuouslysaid box, a swinging member ada gage the box whereby to engage t 0 two fric- L ter-shaft and the steering-gear,

rotating shaft on the vehicle, a shaft driven thereby a friction-gearon'saidlast-named shaft, a second friction-gear adapted to mesh with the first friction-gear a counter-shaft 01.1 which the second friction-gear is s lined, a connection between the counter-s aft and the steering-gear, a box in which the counter-v shaft is mounted, aguide slidably'carried in ted to ention-gears together, and means for adjusting the second gear on the counter-shaft, the said means engaging said swinging member to operate the same.

8. In a motor-driven vehicle'the combination with a steering-gear, of a continuouslydriven shaft on the vehicle, a shaft driven thereby a gear on saidlast-named shaft, a. counter shaft, a connection betweenthe counter-shaft and the steering means, a gear on the counter-shaft, means for adjust ably mounting the counter-shaft to permit of engaging and disengaging thegears, and means for automat-V ically locking the counter-shaft upon disengaging the gears. r

9. In a motor-drivenvehicle, the combination with the steering-gear, ofa continuopsly driven' shaft on the vehicle, a shaft driven thereby a gear on said last-named shaft, a

counter-shaft, a connectionbetween the couna gear on the a shaft driven or-driven vehicle the combina- -ously-drivenshaft on the vehicle,

counter-shaft, means for adjustablymounting the counter-shaft to admit o"'-engaging a disengaging a notched member secured to the counter-shaft, and a relatively stationary member adapted to engage the stationary memberupon disengaging the gears for the purpose specified.

10. In a motor-driven vehicle, the combination with the steering-gear, of a continuously-driven shaft on the vehicle, a shaft driven thereby a gear on said last-named shaft,

a counter-shaft, a connection between the counter-shaft and the steering-gear, a gear on the counter-shaft, means for adjustably mounting the counter-shaft to ad'mit of engaging and disengaging the gears, a notched member secured to the counter-shaft, a relatively stationary member adapted to engage the notched member upon disen agement of the gears for the purpose spec ed, 'means for yieldingly pressing the counter-shaft todisengage'the gears and means for manually movin the counter-shaft to engage the gears.

11. n a motordriven vehicle the combination with the steeringgear, of a continudriven thereby a gear on said last-named shaft, a counter-shaft, a connection between the counter-shaft and th'steerinfg-gear, a gearon the counter-shaft, means or adjustably mounting the counter-shaft to adapt it to engage-and'disenga e the members, means for automatically locIring' the counter-shaft-upon disengagement of the gears, means for yieldingly pressing the counter-shaft to disengage the gears, and means for manually moving the counter shaft to enga e the gears,

In testimony whereof I have signed my a shaft name to this speciflcation 'in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT RICHARDSON. I

Witnesses:

' F. J. WHITTAKER,

G. R. STEPHENSON. 

